A friend emailed me the following story recently, and because I had just gotten Hannah, it was a "warm fuzzy" story. Yes, it's a little mushy, but the wisdom of kids astounds us in many ways.
Sighs of the Heart
by Bob Perks
"She keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the woman told the volunteer.
"What is it she keeps asking for?" she asked.
"Puppy size!"
"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for."
"I know...we have seen most of them," the mom said in frustration.
Just then the young child came walking into the office. "Well, did you find one?"
"No, not this time," she said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?" The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.
"You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said.
The young child took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I bet we'll find one this weekend," the child said.
Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," Dad finally said in frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," Mom added.
Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now the young child knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired of the routine, her mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages.
There was an observation window so people could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted. The young girl walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, you're not the one."
It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.
"Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. "It's the puppy size!"
"But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held the last few weeks," Mom said.
"No not size----sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said. "Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love the bigger the sighs!"
The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.
"Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said. Then holding the puppy up close to her face she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!"
"What is it she keeps asking for?" she asked.
"Puppy size!"
"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for."
"I know...we have seen most of them," the mom said in frustration.
Just then the young child came walking into the office. "Well, did you find one?"
"No, not this time," she said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?" The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.
"You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said.
The young child took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I bet we'll find one this weekend," the child said.
Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," Dad finally said in frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," Mom added.
Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now the young child knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired of the routine, her mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages.
There was an observation window so people could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted. The young girl walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, you're not the one."
It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.
"Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. "It's the puppy size!"
"But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held the last few weeks," Mom said.
"No not size----sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said. "Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love the bigger the sighs!"
The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.
"Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said. Then holding the puppy up close to her face she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!"
When I contracted with Hannah's breeder to take a puppy, it was explained to me that professional and serious hobby breeders would survey the potential owner and choose the puppy they felt would be best suited for that individual. Because both the breeder and the owner of Hannah's sire were people of integrity and very professional in their business operations, I trusted that they would select a wonderful little female for me.
Because the breeder had bred 2 bitches to Wes, I visited both litters. When I visited Bella's litter, Hannah and her siblings were just 5 weeks old. I picked up most of the puppies one by one. Hannah had a dusky olive green rick-rack identification ribbon around her neck. She was one of the tiniest puppies, if not THE tiniest. She was calm and looked at me steadily. I put her down, picked up another, and would pick her up again and again. I finally whispered to her, "Would you like to come home with me?" . . . . and the breeder overheard me. I told Luci that I wanted my puppy from Bella's litter, gave her a deposit, and made arrangements to pick up the puppy 2 weeks later.
I went home and kept my fingers crossed for 2 weeks. Prior to the pick up day I called Luci to arrange a time. I asked her which puppy she had selected for me, and she said that she thought the puppy I liked would be a great match for me. She had already started calling her Hannah. I was ecstatic!
Yes, Hannah had the puppy sighs . . .
1 comment:
You made an excellent choice.
Choosing a puppy is something one must do with quite a bit of intuition.
You have to feel it, know it, deep down inside ...
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